Segarra Taken To Task

The Courant was right to call out Mayor Pedro Segarra for being absent when shootings and other violent acts recently spiked in Hartford [May 29, editorial, "The Mayor's Low Profile"]. At a moment when we needed leadership and support, Mayor Segarra was nowhere to be found.

When he finally did the right thing and convened law enforcement and community leaders for a meeting, he said that he was going to reach out to the state "again" and request public safety dollars.

As reported in "Hartford Legislators Upset About Mayor's Remarks" [June 2, courant.com], when asked about the "requests," state Rep. Doug McCrory said "he has never approached anyone in the delegation for funding for the issues he discussed -- police resources, anti-violence efforts -- that has never been a conversation. Before you ask us again, you've got to do it initially."

Representative Angel Arce went a step further and said the mayor was "making it look like the state's the one to blame."

Similarly, the governor's office told WNPR that "we have not received any formal requests from the Segarra administration regarding additional state aid to help with public safety in the city of Hartford."

Mayor Segarra's stunning lack of follow-through would be laughable if the ramifications weren't so tragic. If this situation doesn't scream out the need for new leadership, I don't know what will.

Steve Harris, HartfordThe writer is a former city councilman and a member of the Bronin for Mayor Leadership Committee.